West Side CTC continues locker replacement, new purchase cost $118,538

Jan. 25—PRINGLE — The committee that runs the West Side Career and Technology Center continued a plan to replace lockers in phases, approving the purchase of more new lockers from Fastenal for a total cost of $118,538 during Monday's monthly meeting.

In a sign of the changes the pandemic has brought to education, the Joint Operating Committee also approved the purchase of social studies textbooks which includes a complete online side-by-side version for online learning, from Cengage Learning at a cost of $22,316, to be covered by federal COVID-19 grant money.

West Side is one of only a few "comprehensive CTCs" in the state that provides both academic and vocational training, taking students from sending districts for the full day while most other CTCs only have them for a half-day of vocational training, leaving the academic side in the hands of the sending district. Like other schools in the region and across the state, the Center added online learning abilities to cope with the pandemic.

In other matters, the committee:

—Added Michele Tyburski to the substitute list.

—Increased the 2022 standard mileage rate from 56 cents to 58.5 cents per mile as per the Internal Revenue Service changes.

—Appointed Melissa Phillips as Health Related Technology Instructor at a starting salary of $50,166, and appointed Nicole Kmetz as mentor for the position at a stipend of $500 for 183 school days.

—Amended the Dec. 20 re-appointment of Charles Coslett as solicitor to change remuneration from $40,000 to $41,000 for the 2022 calendar year.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish